Devices of this kind are used particularly for transport installations and leisure-time establishments, such as for example, ski lifts, cable cars or bathing establishments. The entry card customarily includes a plurality of value-fields or locations, which are successively printed along the longitudinal direction of the entry card. The valid date or the location of the canceller, can, for example, be stamped onto one or several of the value-fields for cancellation. So that the fields or locations are cancelled in the correct sequence, and to avoid a multiple cancellation of the same field or location, if at all possible. It is already known to cut off part of a lateral edge of the entry card concurrently with the cancellation thereof. The cut-off portion is then used as a stop gauge during the next insertion of the card into a canceller. A cancellation device is also known for multiply-usable tickets or entry cards which employs additional means to recognize an entry card, the value fields of which having already been cancelled, or which no longer contains a sufficient amount of value fields for entry into an establishment requiring a plurality of value fields. A portion of the lateral edge of the entry card is also cut off in this device concurrently with the stamping of a cancellation stamp thereon, the length of the cut-off portion corresponding to the number of cancellation imprints. This device determines whether the lateral edge to be cut off still has the required length to be removed, for recognition of completely cancelled entry cards, or entry cards having an insufficient number of valid fields. A mechanical feeler is used therefor. If the ticket has already been cancelled, i.e. if all prerequisite portions have already been cut off, or if the edge of the card is shorter than the length of the portion required to be cut off for the preset cancellation, then the feeler blocks the cancellation device.
These known devices have disadvantages which strongly limit their use. The devices require mechanically movable parts, which are subject to malfunction, for cutting off the lateral edge and for guidance of that length of the edge portion which has not been cut off. This applies particularly for devices which are installed in the open air. Furthermore there occurs a material waste during cut off of the lateral portion, the latter being required to be removed by an operator during relatively short time periods in an establishment having a high frequency of usage. The entry card can generally be simulated by a piece of paper or cardboard of equal dimensions, so that establishments of this kind are not suitable for fully automatic operation, but require ticket control by supervisory persons. Finally, an entry card can only contain a limited number of value fields, since the segments on the lateral edge must be relatively long for the mechanical feeling thereof, whereas the whole length of the entry card or ticket is limited due to practical reasons.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to create a device of the aforesaid kind, and an entry card or ticket suitable therefor which obviates the above-named disadvantages.
The device and entry card according to the invention is characterized by the entry card including at least a first region for the entry of machine-readable information prior to issue of the card, and by the device containing at least one reader, provided for reading the information, as well as an electronic control mechanism, which examines the read information and which permits entry to the establishment if the information coincides with a preset comparison value.
The entry card or ticket preferably includes a further region with at least one value field to be cancelled, and the device contains a second reader provided to determine the validity of the at least one value field, the second reader including at least one light source for the illumination of at least a small region of the entry card or ticket, and an associated light sensor for receiving the light reflected from the illuminated region of the entry card or ticket.
In a preferred implementation version, the entry card includes thermographic material at least in the region containing the at least one cancellable value field, and the device contains a canceller for the cancellation of the at least one value field, the canceller containing at least one heating device for blackening of the thermographic material in a small region, by means of heat rays and/or heat conduction.
In still another preferred implementation version, the canceller and the second reader are disposed so that the cancellation of the at least one value field on the thermographic material is readable by the second reader, and the signal generated by the second reader is usable for control of the canceller.
The new device and the entry card or ticket provided therefor ensures a safe operation with minimal maintainence and an optimal automatic control, so that the employment or use of supervising- or maintainence-personnel can practically be eliminated. The new entry card or ticket preferably includes value fields disposed in longitudinal and transverse directions, which makes it further possible to increase the number of fields by a multiple. The thermal cancelling and the supervision of the cancellation by an optical inspection of the entry card makes it possible to dispense with mechanically movable cancellation stamps, cut-off measuring devices and feelers and thereby to simplify the construction of the device and to increase the operational safety thereof. This method of cancellation does not yield any material waste either, which could impair the function of the mechanically movable parts, so that the waste would have to be removed regularly. The use of a reading device makes it also possible to provide the entry card with a code which, for example, identifies the establishment and limits the temporal duration of the card's validity. In this manner, the use of entry cards or tickets in a foreign establishment operating according to the same principle, or the use of an entry ticket or card which has expired in time is prevented. The observation of the cancellation by means of a reading device makes it possible to recognize and reject cards having the correct identification, but which include a region for cancellation which is not thermally cancellable, or to recognize and reject tickets whose thermographic cancellation has been made invisible. The electronic control arrangement finally permits the statistical evaluation of the cancellation processes.
In what follows, several preferred implementation examples of the invention are described with the aid of figures.